Simpler Days
by heartachequisition
Summary: Sometimes, the busy world needs to slow down a little. Sometimes, the future can wait. A collection of happy one-shots surrounding the Mekakushi Dan and their shenanigans.


'It's too cold' was the initial excuse, fair enough as the snow began to pile in the winter time and the Mekakushi Dan had slowed their activities and migrated indoors to tend to their members more sensitive to the cold.

Mostly this was Marry (who practically stole Seto's body heat anyway) and Kano (who had too become more clingy to whoever was closest), but Kido didn't want to risk any of the others getting sick so they were simply made to stay inside.

Staying inside all day often led to the dan playing games together, or watching movies and more often than not, falling asleep with each other with no intention of going home. Today was a movie night - Momo's turn to pick - and Konoha was on kitchen duty to help Kido, who didn't trust the boy to cook on his own without breaking anything.

Momo had showed up waving a comedic horror movie this time: "It'll be fun!" She chirped happily, fully aware of Kido stiffening, Shintaro face palming and Hibiya groaning loudly at her choice in movie.

Kano, bundled up in winter gear, high-fived her before curling up on the couch - cold, even indoors. Marry soon joined him, and they penguin huddled until Seto passed by and they both captured him so he sat in the middle, trapped.

"Really, Aunty, we have to deal with your weird taste in movies again?" Hibiya grumbled, squatting beside the older girl as she tried to work with the DVD player she wasn't used to using.

"It's not weird, it's unique." She shot back with a grin. "You'll like this one, I promise."

Ene popped up in the TV screen, waving at the two. "This is Mekakushi bonding time, Hibiya! You're not allowed to protest~!"

Outnumbered, Hibiya just sighed and headed to the couch where Shintaro sat, secretly happy someone shared the same view as him but also secretly grateful for said winter 'Mekakushi bonding time'. It got awfully lonely by himself, and in those times, his thoughts would wander to Hiyori and that did his brain absolutely no favours at all.

They had been efficient that night, Konoha and Kido in the kitchen, Konoha perhaps co-operating because his favourite dish was in process and Kido just didn't care what they chose to make as long as none of the pickiest eaters - Kano again, and sometimes Hibiya - would be dissatisfied and not eat. Whipping up food for eight was no problem with Konoha helping; he was strong, tall and quick, always there to pass her what she needed.

"You okay, Konoha?" Kido glanced at him, the albino seeming to space out in the corner.

He nodded slowly, voice even and calm as he spoke, "Thinking... do you need the salt?"

Kido shrugged, "Pass it to me." It was hurled across the room, and she only barely caught it.

She was happy though, working with Konoha, because he was as much a dan member as anyone else and she treasured them all so, even if she didn't say it.

"We'll be done in a few minutes, you can head back out and relax with the others." She smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards. The male nodded again and trudged out, taking a seat between Hibiya and Shintaro, "It'll be done soon." He informed them quietly.

The two instantly engaged him in conversation, Ene squealing about the most random things in Shintaro's phone to try and embarrass him every once in a while.

Momo had finally gotten the DVD working, after multiple slaps to the electronic and faceplants on top of it, but happily jumped up to help Kido when she noticed her coming out with the food. Kido nodded gratefully at her as the idol emerged from the kitchen holding multiple plates of barbecued meat and various other things at once - Momo's strength never failed to amaze her.

They dragged a second table in next to the coffee table to accommodate all the dishes, as it was apparent nobody wanted to move. Seto moved to help, but the two clinging onto him prevented him from going anywhere so he just smiled apologetically to Kido and Momo, who smiled back.

"Momo, could you grab the blankets in the cupboard? It looks like we might be needing them." The girl beamed at Kido knowingly before dashing off and returning with every blanket in the house. She draped the first over Marry's head, the second on top of Kano, Seto shared the two while Kido grabbed a big one for Shintaro, Konoha and Hibiya, and she and Momo shared one together once they had settled everyone else in. Ene was perched on the table, providing cheerful commentary as the others ate - as if she was watching wild animals.

"Be quiet." Shintaro had swatted at her, but the cyber girl retaliated and started blasting virtual pop songs and happy Disney tunes to lift the atmosphere. Ene also had fun analysing how they ate while Shintaro tried to put his phone on mute.

Kido ate cleanly, precisely, with all the right mannerisms - like that of a prestigious school girl - but stabbed her meat brutally as well. It was cute. Though Ene didn't dare say that out loud.

Seto ate mostly in large portions but it seemed like he was simply too lazy to cut it up so he just ate it as it was, and Kano was the same, only he'd spit out anything he didn't appear to like. The two ate rather messily, but managed to keep most of their food on their respective plates.

Marry ate in the smallest portions possible, cutting her food up delicately - Ene giggled when she saw the girl cutting up a single pea - and notably she ate mostly vegetables, for she was probably more used to them than meat. "Forest." Was all Marry had replied with.

Momo simply ate a lot and very quickly too, so it was difficult to say really how she ate - just very fast, as if she had to rush to finish and do something else. "Her job," Shintaro had answered, "She can only have short meals so she eats really quickly."

"That, and she's a pig." Hibiya had snorted, gaining a glare from the idol but nothing else.

'Peace.' She had stared Hibiya down until he stopped sneering and went back to his food.

Shintaro though, ate just about as quickly as his sister, despite having absolutely nothing to be in a hurry for.

"You look like a lawnmower!" Ene chirped teasingly. "Om nom nom nom nom!"

Hibiya just ate like he was really angry, and 'similar to a ravaging lion' was how Momo had described him.

"Hibiya, at least try and eat like you're not about to murder someone." Kano drawled from his ball on the couch.

"You'll be next." The young boy had grumbled, skewering the meat.

Konoha literally did not even seem to swallow his food, he simply kept shoving it into his mouth to the point where Kido had to tell him to slow down.

Momo, having finished first, popped on the movie which started with a scene of dripping ooze. She giggled and rolled around as it started to morph into some grotesque creature.

"Oh my god Momo, we're trying to eat here!" Her brother shouted, shielding his eyes from the screen.

Hibiya frowned. "What is this even rated?"

Marry instantly dove into Seto's lap, as a resounding scream echoed from the TV. "Oh no..." She was never one for movies, and the loud sounds were harsh on her sensitive ears.

Kano started laughing, though he too buried his face into Seto's shoulder, practically sliding off the couch to do so.

"It's kinda cute!" Seto had commented, as the creature crawled around the screen. He patted the two taking refuge on him.

"It's adorable!" Momo grinned, Kido seeming to have frozen stiff on her chair.

"A little odd..." Marry had added, without looking at the screen though her hair wiggled from behind her.

The movie was actually plain torturous. The idol was renowned for worst taste in movies but this one definitely took the cake.

Shintaro had conked out several times from shock at how shockingly bad this movie was and it was a surprise he was still breathing. At around the fifth murder, Kano started to creep everyone out with a fit of evil cackles every few minutes.

"Kano, shut up!" Kido had half a mind to slap him only she was on the other side of the room and opted for throwing her shoe at him instead. Which unfortunately missed.

Marry fell asleep in Seto's lap to the sounds of running water in the film, and he too fell asleep soon after; head lolling back on the sofa cushions, exhausted.

Kano had been forcibly removed from them by Momo on Kido's orders and the deceiver was made to sit next to her so she could keep him out of trouble.

He prodded her, "Hey Kido. Kido, hey Kido. Kido, guess what? Kido, hey. You scared, danchou? Hey Kido-" Until she got infuriated and tossed him over the back of the couch.

After a second, she realised he was out cold and gently dropped a blanket over him and smiled.

"Stupid person needs to stop going into abandoned buildings and hightail home before they get killed!" Hibiya was the most annoying person to watch movies with because he pointed out every single flaw. "Look, and there's the reflection of the camera, as if you wouldn't notice that, ugh."

"Shh, I'm trying to listen!" Ene interrupted, though he kept going.

"And why would you open your door at midnight? Clearly a mass murderer is outside that door, you idiot, you didn't even check beforehand!"

"Hibiya..." Konoha patted him in an attempt to quiet the complaints.

"No, no, no, don't you see? See that shadow over there? It's deadly. Don't cross the road, idiot kid, you're going to die!"

Shintaro had long passed out by then from Hibiya's frantic ranting as he was jabbed in the stomach when the young boy got too enthusiastic. Konoha glanced at the others nervously as he constantly attempted to silence his companion. "No, see, that was stupid. He could have taken the safe way but he walked right into that! He deserved it!"

Eventually, his ranting had caused Momo to lose her initial excitement and she curled up at Kido's feet to fall asleep. Hibiya's legs hung over her and it took all of Konoha's strength to stop him from kicking the sleeping girl.

The movie ended not long after with only Kido, Ene, Konoha and Hibiya still awake so they all nodded at each other and settled in comfortably where they sat. Hibiya seemed to have tired himself out with his complaints and slept as soon as his head hit the cushions.

Konoha reached to turn off Shintaro's phone, though Ene calmly said, "Just leave it, it'll go on sleep by itself." He leaned back and closed his eyes while Kido surveyed the room with pride. This was her Mekakushi Dan and despite their differences, she really did love them all. She'd get the dishes done tomorrow.

Lying across the couch, she waited for sleep to come.

The all silent room alerted Kano's 'sleeping form' that everyone was finally asleep and he clambered up, gazing across the room at all the people he had gotten to know as the Dan.

All the people that made him feel like he was no longer alone.

Snickering quietly, he produced a pack of markers, reaching for Shintaro who was his first victim.

He'd have fun seeing their reactions in the morning.


End file.
